Finally, Some Hollow Waves From California’s XXM Swell

While most lineups north of Point Conception have been buried under whitewater (except ski-laden Mavericks) during California’s holiday swell extravaganza, San Diego lit up like an overdressed Christmas tree yesterday. 

With a long period of WNW slamming California, perennial all-star filmer/photographer/frother Jimmy Wilson posted up at one of SD’s XXM reefs on December 29 at 7:15 a.m…and didn’t wrap up until 3 p.m. He abstained from food and water for nearly eight hours, dodged the parking police all day and stayed up late into the night to get the edited footage on your screens in a timely manner. Keep in mind this was a day after Jimmy filmed Swamis carnage. Someone get him a rack (or a set wave).

The hollow lefthand barrels he captured on Friday made for “by far the best session I’ve ever witnessed in San Diego,” not an insignificant claim from someone who has documented sessions there for a decade. 

Yesterday’s waves were not perfect to be sure. Shifting peaks, closeouts and broken boards outweighed the makes. But there were visions to be sure. Skip McCullough must have been on someone’s nice list this year. 

Meanwhile, Ben Gravy and Jacob Szekely dusted off the family heirlooms (10’2 and 9’6, respectively) to take on canyon-enhanced Blacks. Not the biggest ever, but still capable of snapping three-inch thick rhino chasers. The duo dodged dolphins, cleanup sets and bailed guns up and down the sandbar. Kudos to Ben for capitalizing on the biggest swells to hit New Jersey and California in several years in less than 10 days.